When the Bough Breaks
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: Tragedy once again strikes the Los Angeles NCIS team in a way no one could have ever seen coming and the teammates are devasted, as well as left in the dark about what led up to this moment. All the teammates have left to work their case, is each other. This story takes place after the latest episode, Spoils of War, and is not a sequel to my other fiction, In the Blink of an Eye.
1. Chapter 1

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter One

It was an unusually quiet Tuesday morning in the city of Los Angeles and the same went for its NCIS headquarters, where the heads, agents, and computer and lab techs who worked there were all catching up on paperwork, filing, making phone calls, and reading over cold cases in order to keep themselves busy. After the first two hours of the morning, Deeks leaned back in his chair in front of his desk and let out a long, irritating sigh, making it so that one of his teammates would finally speak up again after the long silence that filled the room.

It worked, as Sam was the first to speak up asking, "What's wrong, Deeks; you bored?"

Before the LAPD agent could answer, his partner interrupted as she said, "I'm surprised he's actually lasted this long. Silence has never been one of his strong suits."

"Ho, Ho, Ho, very funny," Deeks finally responded sarcastically. "I'll have you know, I can be quiet and focus on my job just fine if need be, but you three can't tell me that you're not as bored as I am?"

"Yeah, we're bored, but we're still doing what we have to do because Hetty ordered us to," Callen answered as he looked away from his computer screen.

Deeks scoffed and then asked again, "Why is it that we always blindly do whatever Hetty tells us too? I mean, I get that she's our boss and all, but surely she could let us in on some of her secrets. Where is she right now? Why isn't she here, suffering like we are?"

Sam replied, "Because, she's off doing her own business, probably trying to find work for us. You've been working here for over four years and you're still questioning her motives? I'm surprised at you."

"I still can't believe we've been here for two days, without one case coming up for us to solve," Kensi responded as she pulled off another file from the stack piling up on her desk, hers being much larger than the others' because of her time away in Afghanistan and recuperation. "This just doesn't seem normal."

"I know what you mean," Deeks answered and then stood up in order to stretch.

It was then that Hetty walked into the main room as she spoke up saying, "Well then, it looks like you four will be happy to know that I've come baring a gift. If you head up to ops, Nell and Eric will brief you on your latest case. Do not say I've never given you anything, gentlemen and lady."

As they headed off toward the staircase, Callen called back, "I wouldn't think of it. You're too good to us, Hetty. I hope you know that."

"Believe me, Mr. Callen, I do," she replied and then walked over to sit at her desk. "I know very well."

A few minutes later, Callen, Sam, Deeks, and Kensi were all standing inside their ops center listening to the two intelligence analysts among their team as they carefully explained to the agents the facts of the next case Hetty had assigned to them. It wasn't anything that they've never been through before, though each of the agents got the sense that this case was going to be a long and difficult one.

"Last night, four heavily armed men dressed in black broke into a corporate building where encrypted data containing important documents are stored on multiple hard drives," Eric continued. "Unfortunately, our bad guys have downloaded and stolen multiple files, which we are not privileged to know, according to the men and women working there."

Sam scoffed as he stated, "We're not privileged to know?"

Nell smiled as she nodded and responded, "That's right. I called to try to get them to open up to us about what information was stolen, but they weren't very forthcoming. Hetty should be on the phones right now explaining to them that the four of you are going to be coming to talk with them shortly."

"Great, I can't wait to hear what kind of excuses they'll come up with as to why they can't let us know what they allowed the thieves to get away with," Sam quickly said. "Is there any chance any of our perps got themselves on camera?"

"I pulled up all of the surveillance footage I could find in the area and they're definitely on camera, but unless our current president and past presidents, including a few who have risen from the dead, have decided to commit these crimes, then identifying these thieves from the footage is impossible," Eric answered as he pulled up a few pictures and video. "Not that I wouldn't put it past our current… Never mind. Our guys were wearing masks and ugly ones at that. These have always creeped me out."

Deeks looked over the pictures as he replied in agreement, "You and me both."

Nell continued with the rest of the briefing as she spoke again saying, "On top of the stolen information, two security guards were killed, both of whom were retired naval officers, as well as one of the women working there, who stayed late to finish up some work she fell behind on."

"Kensi and Deeks, I want the two of you to go and speak with their families, to see if there's anything you can learn from them about what their loved ones did there," Hetty said as she walked into the room and stood in front of her team she had assembled together years ago. "Perhaps someone may know something more that we may not learn anywhere else."

"We're on our way," Kensi responded as she and her partner headed toward the door, then left ops.

Callen quickly added, "And Sam and I are heading off to speak with the men and women in charge of keeping whatever information is contained there at that office. We'll convince them that their cooperation is more important than keeping what was stolen a secret, especially if it's information that could lead to a potential threat to our country."

Hetty nodded as they left, then turned back to the two analysts, as Nell spoke again saying, "Eric and I will keep digging, to see if we can gather anymore information that the others might not be able to gain access to."

"Such as, Miss. Jones?" Hetty asked.

"Such as background checks on each of the employees that work there," Eric answered for her.

Nell continued, "Hopefully we're wrong, but it's possible that someone may be in on the thefts, including those who were killed."

Hetty walked toward the door as she replied, "Very good you two. Keep up the good work. It is imperative that we gather as much information as we can. Somewhere, there's something that will help us stop our killers before they can finish whatever it is they have planned. It's truly wonderful to have us all back together again."


	2. Chapter 2

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Two

A few hours later, Kensi and Deeks were sitting down on a couch across from the loved ones of their last victim, Danielle Paige, who had been a lieutenant in the Navy until three years ago when she retired and became one of the security officers hired by a company that stores data for multiple companies throughout all of Los Angeles.

After offering their condolences for the loss of the family's daughter, Kensi spoke up again saying, "Did your daughter ever do anything else for them while being employed there? Is there anything she may have done there that would have possibly made her a specific target?"

The victim's mother spoke up as she asked, "What exactly are you saying? Are you telling us that our daughter was killed because the monsters that did this wanted her dead for a reason?"

"Or or you insinuating that our daughter may have been in on whatever her killers wanted at that company?" Danielle's father asked.

"I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Paige, we are not trying to insinuate anything," Deeks replied sincerely. "We are just trying to come up with a plausible reason as to why your daughter is now dead, along with one of her coworkers and another woman that worked at the office. We don't have any reason to believe that Danielle or either of the others was at all responsible for their deaths or the stolen information our killers managed to get away with."

Danielle's father shook his head in anger as he responded, "That's what you say, but I have a feeling that you believe otherwise. All you agents always think that whatever has happened, has happened with the help from someone on the inside. You may be right, but I am telling you right now, it is not because of Danielle. She died only because she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

Kensi nodded, then stated, "I'm sure you're right. Did your daughter happen to tell you recently that there may be a potential threat to the company she worked for? Was she recently worried, about anything?"

"She was worried about her ex boyfriend," her mother answered.

"Why is that?" Deeks asked quickly.

The woman sadly replied, "Because, her ex is also her boss. Danielle was worried that now that they have broken up, that he was going to fire her. I warned her that it wasn't a good idea to get involved with him, especially since he was a married man, but she claimed that she loved him."

Deeks looked over at his partner, as did Kensi looked at him, then she turned back to their victim's parents and responded, "We'll look into him. Thank you very much for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Paige. We promise that we'll be in touch when we figure out why your daughter was killed. And once again, we are so sorry for your loss."

"It looks like we've got ourselves a new suspect to check out," Deeks said as he and Kensi both got into their car and began to head back to their headquarters. "I'd be great if all this was is because of one scumbag only wanting to keep his affair a secret."

"What do you mean this would be great?" Kensi asked.

Deeks quickly answered, "I don't mean it would be great, because this is definitely not great, but I mean, it would be good if the information they stole doesn't have anything to do with their deaths is all."

Kensi looked over at him sternly as she asked, "Do you really believe that if that were true, then our suspect would have needed to hire a group of mercenaries to dress up as our ex presidents to kill his girlfriend?"

"It's possible; that is if he wanted to make his hit look like it was about something else in order to divert all attention away from him," Deeks replied in speculation.

"That's a ridiculous theory, Deeks, even for you," his partner responded. "But it certainly won't hurt if we check it out."

Meanwhile…

Callen and Sam arrived at the company building that had been attacked and asked to speak with whoever was in charge. A man walked out to greet the two agents, then ordered his coworkers and receptionist to walk away. Only his right hand man stood by him, as he offered Sam and Callen a seat at the table in front of them.

Sam spoke up first as he stated, "You must be Hans Mikkelsen. I'm Agent Hanna and this is my partner, Agent Callen."

The man shook their hands and then answered, "Yes, and to my left here, is my partner and longtime friend, Craig Cosgrove. We understand you're here to speak to us about the tragedy that occurred here last night. Believe me when I say, we are extremely saddened by their deaths and wish to do whatever we can to help you in solving your case."

"That's good," Callen replied as he looked over at his partner and rolled his eyes, as he didn't believe the man before them in the slightest. "If that's true, then you can tell us about the information that was stolen from here."

"That information is of nothing that is of any concern to you and your agency," Cosgrove responded curtly. "I mean, it has nothing to do with why our three employees are dead."

Callen glared at the two men as he spoke again saying, "Maybe not, but we're here to investigate everything involved in this case. Those men that broke in here last night, did so in order to get their hands on that information, not to murder two security guards and a random employee, who stayed here late to finish up on some work. So don't try to bullshit us by saying that what was stolen is not important."

Sam quickly asked, "What is it that you're trying to hide?"

"All that was stolen was a few employee files, including Miss. Jenkins', who was the woman, who was here late last night," Mikkelsen finally answered. "We don't yet know why the thieves wanted that information."

"If that's really all that was downloaded and stolen, then why did you feel the need to keep that information from us?" Sam asked.

Mikkelsen looked over at Cosgrove, then back at the agents and replied, "I suppose because we were ashamed that our security was poor enough that a few thieves could break through our encryptions we have in place. We figured it would be best if we handled this situation ourselves. We don't need a couple of agents coming in and disrupting everything we've worked hard to build."

Callen shook his head, then responded, "It looks like the disruption has already happened. We can't stop you from doing an investigation yourselves, but we can sure as hell continue to induct one of our own and if we need to talk with you again, we will."

"Actually, how about you tell us about your relationship with Danielle Paige, Mr. Cosgrove," Sam stated after reading a text message from Deeks just then. "Did you want to make sure she couldn't tell anyone about your little affair?"

"My personal life is of no concern to either of you or your agency, Agent Callen," the man answered angrily. "I did not want Danielle dead and even if I did, I certainly wouldn't have hired a group of thugs wearing masks to do it, especially when there were other people around to get hurt. I'm not a monster."

Sam spoke again saying, "You better hope we find out that you're telling us the truth. Because believe me, if you're not, then you will not like the consequences."

Callen and Sam finally left the office building and then began to drive back toward their headquarters, while they thought over everything that their suspects had told them. They were only a mile away when they suddenly stopped their car upon seeing dark, thick smoke rising into the sky from an unknown location, somewhere very close to where they were heading, but it wasn't until both of their phones began to go off simultaneously that the two knew that what they felt in the pits of their stomach was because their NCIS headquarters had become targeted, as they all always feared might happen one day.

Callen quickly turned to look at his friend as he said fearfully, "Drive faster, Sam."


	3. Chapter 3

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Three

The closer the agents got to their center of operations, the louder the frantic cries of fear and shock grew, and as soon as they pulled into the lot, they saw that the main building was on fire and people that worked with them were rushing out and around them in panic. There was more smoke than fire, as the fire was already mostly snuffed out, thanks to help from the safety systems that had been installed for precautions such as these, but the damage had already been done. Outside, things looked bad, but inside, the agents knew the situation would be dire, as they had friends and teammates who were still in there.

Callen and Sam swiftly got out of their car and helped one of the techs that was suddenly shoved to the ground as people ran over her in fear, as well as another of the agents, then Callen quickly called out, "Have you seen Hetty, or Nell, or…"

Before he could finish, the young tech pushed Sam away from her as she shouted back, "I don't know. I haven't seen her. Let me go!"

"We need to find the others," Sam said as Deeks and Kensi arrived and quickly ran over to them.

"Have you seen Eric and Nell, or Hetty yet?" Deeks asked as Sam opened the door and the four of them stepped inside.

Callen shook his head as they cautiously began to maneuver through the rubble and around the areas still on fire, then as they made their way into the main room, they suddenly saw Nell, who was lying half conscious on the ground beneath a section of the ceiling that had fallen, choking on the smoke surrounding them. Deeks and Callen made their way over to the youngest member of their team first, while Sam and Kensi worked on helping a few others trying to get out.

Callen quickly asked, "Nell, are you all right? Are you hurt?"

She briefly answered, "No… no... I mean, aside from a gash… on my forehead… oh God, Eric! He's… he's… I was trying to make my way… up to him, but…"

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Sam replied as Kensi came over and began to help Nell walk toward the exit.

Deeks, Callen, and Sam climbed the stairs to make their way up to the ops center and as soon as they made their way into the room, they found that flames blazed throughout it, the computers and equipment were shattered, and down on the floor, lying on his back beneath masses of rubble, was where they found Eric unconscious. The three agents rushed over and Sam and Deeks carefully worked to lift the debris off of him, while Callen gently placed his fingers over his throat to feel for a pulse.

"He's still breathing, but his pulse is weak," Callen said as he continued to help the others. "We have to get him out of here, fast."

Deeks was looking down near Eric's right hip, where the large mainframe in the center of the room had landed and pinned Eric to the floor, then responded nervously, "Yeah, well that might be a little difficult."

Sam looked at him sternly as he asked, "What are you talking about? We need to hurry and lift this thing off him, then…"

"You don't understand!" Deeks suddenly interrupted angrily as he lifted his hand away from the area to reveal blood covering his fingers, causing both Sam and Callen to stop what they were doing and stare back at him in confusion. "Part of this thing has impaled him. We can't just, lift it off him. We need to be very careful about how we do this."

"We don't exactly have the time to be careful," Callen answered as he quickly looked around the room and saw the it wouldn't be long before the flames would engulf the entire room, as the sprinklers were no longer functioning. "We just need to pry him loose and hope that he's strong enough to hold on until we can get him to the paramedics. They've got to be out there by now, along with the fire department and other rescue workers."

More debris began to fall around them, then Sam looked over at his partner, and replied, "I agree. Are you guys ready?"

Callen nodded, while they prepared themselves to pull Eric out from under the rubble, as Deeks responded, "As I'll ever be. Let's do this."

"We have to get out of here; now!" Sam shouted after pulling Eric free, as the fire suddenly erupted, then together the three men maneuvered themselves down the stairs and through the building as carefully, but as quickly as they could, with their seriously injured friend between them.

"Eric!" cried Nell as soon as she saw them emerge from the building and that her partner was hurt. "Eric! Is he…?"

When the agents handed Eric off to a couple of paramedics that ran over to them as they came out, Callen turned to Nell and gently pulled her back as she rushed over to them and tried to get to him. She tried to break free from his grasp, but Callen held her firmly in his arms, not having to struggle too hard to do so, as Nell was small and didn't have much fight in her as she finally give in, sinking to her knees, and cried.

Callen held onto her tightly when each of the agents walked over to them, then Kensi spoke up softly saying, "He's going to be all right, Nell. Eric's got more strength than we give him credit for; a lot more."

"We didn't see anyone else inside as we made our way back out here," Sam said as he looked down at her sadly. "Where was Hetty?"

"I am right here, Mr. Hanna," Hetty answered as she and Granger slowly walked over from behind them. "I was called away for a meeting with Owen. How is Eric, and the rest of you?"

Sam looked over toward the ambulance where the paramedics were working to stabilize their friend before heading off to the hospital, then turned back to the woman that put their team together as he replied, "We're all just fine, aside for the shock over what's happened here, but Eric… We don't know."

Kensi asked, "Hetty, what the hell happened here? How could this have happened? This place was supposed to be secure and unknown."

"I don't know what happened here, but you can be sure that I will get to the bottom of this," she responded angrily. "We must figure out if the bomb that has struck us to our core, is indeed connected to our latest case I have just assigned to you."

"But Hetty, our headquarters and all of our resources have been destroyed," Deeks retorted. "Not to mention, one of our best computer analysts has been severely injured, almost killed. How are we supposed to do that?"

Hetty looked over at the team's LAPD liaison as she declared firmly, "In any way possible, Mr. Deeks; in every way possible. We will find the men or women that are responsible for this and we will bring them down, by any means necessary."


	4. Chapter 4

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Four

Eric and the rest of the injured or those in shock were finally escorted to the hospital, while the head team, as well as Hetty, Granger, and any other able bodied agents and techs all remained behind to work the bombing, in hope of discovering how this tragedy was possible. Nell was permitted to accompany her partner and the others to the hospital, where Nate, who had been called by Hetty, would soon meet up with her. All other emergency vehicles remained behind to help with putting out the fire and to help those in still in need.

"At least five are dead, that we know of so far; two agents and three techs or analysts," Kensi said sadly as the team regrouped after working hard for over in search of evidence, more of the injured, and the bodies of those that worked among them. "Nearly a dozen men and women were injured, several of them critically like Eric. This is surreal. I just can't believe this is happening."

"We all feared that a tragedy such as this would happen one day and now, that day is here," Hetty responded as she and Granger joined them. "Whoever has done this, wanted to strike us where they could do the most damage and cause us the most pain. Not one man or woman has done this. Whoever they are, have a deep grudge against NCIS in general and in order to pull this off, they would have needed inside help."

Deeks stared at her as he replied, "You think that one of our own has sold us out and helped terrorists do this?"

Granger answered for their leader as he answered, "We do. They knew where we were based and they knew how to get inside to plant the bomb. Only one of us could have given our terrorists that information."

"The question is who?" Callen responded. "Why would any one of us help those that did this; anger, money, or a threat maybe?"

"Those that work for NCIS are loyal and devoted to our country," Sam replied as he looked over at his partner, then between Hetty and Granger. "I believe that whoever we're looking for feels that our country has wronged him or someone he or she loves in some way. I can't imagine that any amount of money is a powerful enough motive."

Deeks shook his head as he retorted, "I disagree. Anyone, if given the right sum, can be bought."

Kensi glared at her partner as she asked, "Are you saying that if someone offered you the right dollar amount, that you would do this?"

"No, of course not," he answered quickly. "I'm just saying, money is the biggest motivator to get scumbags like our terrorists to things like this; that and God, not that God would ever promote this or any of the other terrible things that happen in this world, but…"

"We get your point, Deeks," Callen interrupted. "But I definitely agree with Sam here. This goes way beyond money. We need to figure out if our ex presidents are a part of this and if the real information that was stolen helped."

Sam smiled as he responded, "Yeah, I didn't believe those two suits either; employee files, my ass."

Kensi asked in surprise, "That's what they told you was stolen? Surely they could have come up with something better that that. Who besides law enforcements maybe would encrypt employee files?"

Callen continued, "My instincts tell me that Cosgrove and Mikkelsen are guilty as hell. We just need to prove it."

"Then, let's get to work," Hetty finally said. "We solve this, for Eric and the rest of the men and women who have been harmed and killed."

Late into the evening, Nell was sitting inside the hospital's waiting room long after being seen by one of the doctors to make sure that she was all right. Physically, she was fine, but emotionally, Nell was devastated and still in shock over what happened earlier that day. She couldn't say much more than a few words at a time to Hetty, who had stopped in to see how she was doing, but since left to help the others work the case, or even to the doctors and nurses as they came in to check on her.

"Hello again, Nell," Nate spoke softly as he finally arrived and slowly took a seat in the chair beside her. "I apologize for getting here so late. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting a flight out here on such short notice."

Without looking over at him, Nell gloomily replied, "But you made it."

He nodded and answered, "Yes, I made it. I… I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now, Nell. I know what Eric means to you."

"How can you possibly know what he means to me?" she suddenly cried as she finally turned to look at the psychologist. "I don't even know what he means to me. I mean… He's my best friend, I can talk to him about anything, and he knows me better than anyone, but…"

"You're not really sure if he means more than that?" Nate continued.

Nell turned away and scoffed, then responded, "I… This is Eric we're talking about. He's Eric, but this has nothing to with that. He could have died in that explosion, he still might die. He was going on and on about how I shouldn't date this guy that I've started seeing, that he isn't right for me, and the last words I said to him were in anger. I shouted at him, telling him to mind his own business."

Nate looked down for a moment, then looked back over at her as he replied, "You blame yourself for him getting hurt in the bombing."

"I blame myself for saying words I didn't mean and leaving him alone," she finally answered. "I should have been up there with him. Perhaps if I was, I could have done something to keep him from getting hurt, like that."

"Or you could have gotten hurt as well," Nate responded. "Or worse, you could have died. You need to allow yourself to breathe and be grateful that Eric is still alive. You don't need to blame yourself for what happened. This wasn't your fault, Nell. The only people to blame for Eric getting hurt are the men or women that caused all this. Eric would be the first one to tell you that you're not to blame."

Tears welled up in her eyes as Nell quietly replied, "You're right. My God, what am I going to do if he dies, Nate? What if I can't tell him the truth about how I really feel about him?"

Nate pulled her into his arms to offer her comfort and then answered, "You have to have faith that he'll pull through this. And that the others will find those responsible and make them pay."


	5. Chapter 5

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Five

Meanwhile…

Two men exited their car upon coming to a stop, then walked inside one of the ritzier hotels within Los Angeles, and stopped at room 1206. One of them knocked and after a few seconds, the door was opened and the person inside the room motioned for the newcomers to enter, making one of them very nervous.

The other newcomer turned to his companion and stated, "You seem upset, Craig."

One of the men already inside the room quickly asked, "Is there a problem here?"

"No, no," Mikkelsen replied. "There's nothing to worry about. My business partner just isn't sure what's really going on here. I haven't fully let him in on the whole story. As far as he knows, the information stolen was only floor plans of multiple government buildings throughout the city. He doesn't know the full reason why I hired you and your boys to break in and steal them."

"I think I've put it together though, having seen the news footage earlier," Cosgrove answered angrily. "However, I wasn't aware the floor plans of the NCIS headquarters were stored with us."

Another man walked into the main room from the bathroom as he responded, "They aren't. That's why your partner recruited me for my help. Although I really wish he had never gotten me involved. The surviving agents are going to kill me."

Mikkelsen shook his head and replied, "Nonsense. I told you before, if you do this, I would protect you."

"How exactly are you going to protect me?" the man shouted angrily. "You don't know those agents that came to see you today like I know them. And let me tell you, they are really ticked off. You not only killed and injured a number of agents, tech, and analysts, but one of them was my boss, who is the head of the analysts there."

"So what?" one of the thieves responded in confusion.

The man glared at the thieves as he continued, "My boss is one of those agents' teammates and a close friend. He's still alive for now, but… Let's just say that they're taking this attack extremely personal."

Mikkelsen smiled and replied, "I would expect nothing less."

"I can't believe that this is happening," Cosgrove spoke again, now even more nervous than before. "This is bigger than I ever imagined. I knew that you were up to something, but I suspected that maybe you just wanted something hidden inside each of those buildings, which is why you hired these thugs to steal the floor plans, but… Do you plan to blow up the rest of these government buildings, just like you did NCIS?"

"Is that going to be a problem?" his partner asked.

Craig Cosgrove shook his head in disbelief and answered, "When these thugs killed three of our people, I was able to look past that. I figured that it was a good possibility that there would be a few casualties, but all of these other people, including government agents… NCIS already suspects us. Booker said so. We are going to get caught and then locked away for the rest of our lives, which won't be very long once we're transported to Gitmo or wherever we're sent."

Mikkelsen slowly reached inside his coat pocket as he looked at his business partner and asked, "Do you want to know what I do with people whom I feel are a liability to me and my plans?"

It was then that he suddenly pulled out a gun and fired two rounds into the man who had given them the information they needed to blow up the NCIS headquarters, watched him fall to the floor, then die within a few seconds due to the bullets striking him directly through his heart. As he put the gun away again, he finally looked back over at Cosgrove and crossed his arms.

"This is what I do to liabilities," Hans responded coldly. "NCIS tech operator, John Booker was no longer needed and I couldn't trust him to not do something stupid that might screw up our plans. Now, you and I have been business partners for over a decade and good friends far longer than that. I didn't fully bring you in on all of this because I didn't know how you would react, but I want to know right now, are you with me? I mean, truly with me, or do I have to get rid of you too?"

"Does this mean I get a raise?" Cosgrove asked smugly as a smile appeared on his face, indicating that he had chosen wisely.

Back at the hospital, two hours later…

Hetty had arrived not long before one of the doctors working on Eric and the other injured men and women that worked for NCIS walked out and stood before the petite woman, Nell, and Nate. Blood covered his white lab coat and scrubs, causing Nell to sink, though Nate quickly grabbed a hold of to keep her from falling to the floor.

Hetty spoke up first as she looked up at the man before them and said sadly, "Due to the amount of blood covering your clothes, I'd say that Mr. Beale's condition is more dire than I initially feared. How is he doing, really?"

The doctor bowed his head and then replied, "To be honest, I am amazed he is still alive. The wounds he sustained in the explosion are extensive. Aside from the more apparent wound, the one just above his hip, he also has three broken ribs, one of which has punctured his left lung, and a pretty deep laceration on the left side of his head, above his temple. It has caused a skull fracture. Unfortunately, he has fallen into a coma, but I promise you that I and the rest of my team are doing everything we can to save him. He is in very good hands."

"Thank you very much," Hetty answered and looked over at Nell and Nate, then back up at the physician. "When will we be able to see him and the rest of those that were injured?"

"None of the others that survived the explosion are as bad off as Mr. Beale was," he responded. "Most of them you'll be able to visit very soon. The rest are still being treated, along with Beale. It will still be awhile before I can allow you to see them, but I will let you know as soon as you can."

When the doctor walked away, Nell slowly got her composure back under control as she stood up straight, stared at Hetty with anger showing in her eyes, and then finally said, "What can I do? I want to be here for Eric, but right now, he needs us to find the men that are responsible for all of this even more. I know that he'd be working with the others right now if he were standing in my shoes. I need to be out there. Otherwise, I'll go crazy just sitting around waiting."

Hetty gently placed her hand over Nell's cheek, then spoke again saying, "Then, go and join the others in the field and help them discover exactly what our two main suspects are hiding. I believe that you'll be able to meet up with either team at Mikkelsen's or Cosgrove's home. When Eric can be seen, I will let you know, I promise. Good luck, Miss. Jones."


	6. Chapter 6

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Six

Callen and Sam rounded the corner and finally pulled into the driveway of Hans Mikkelsen's large and very expensive home, but upon doing so, they saw no lights on inside, indicating that no one was home. However, the two agents went up to the door and rang the bell anyway, hoping that maybe Mikkelsen and his wife had already gone to bed seeing that it was now pretty late. A light came on and within a minute the door was finally opened a crack by a woman, whom the agents knew to be their suspect's wife.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked groggily as she looked at the two men standing in front of her in confusion. "It's late. I was in bed."

"Yes, forgive us, Ma'am," Callen began sincerely. "I'm Agent Callen and this is my partner, Agent Hanna, with NCIS; Naval Criminal Investigative Service. We're very sorry to come so late, but I'm afraid we really need to speak with your husband. It's a matter of urgency."

She opened the door a little wider and then answered, "My husband isn't here right now. I believe he's working late tonight. If you really need to talk to him, you'll find him there."

Sam shook his head as he responded, "Actually, he wasn't there. We hoped he'd be here. I f he isn't here and he isn't at work, do you have any idea where he would be?"

"What is this about?" she asked again with worry in her voice. "My husband has done nothing wrong. He would never…"

"Ma'am, we're not really sure if he's guilty or not, but we really do need to talk to him, in hope of ruling him out as a suspect," Callen replied.

She stated, "A suspect; a suspect of what?"

Callen quickly looked at his partner, then back at the woman, and answered, "Early this morning, our head office was bombed. Surely you saw the stories on the news. Every station's been playing them all day."

"Listen to me very carefully, agents," she responded angrily as she finally opened the door all the way and stepped outside. "My husband isn't a terrorist. You are looking for the wrong man. He isn't home and if he isn't at work, then you're out of luck. Good night."

"Well, that went about as well as I expected," Sam stated as Mrs. Mikkelsen stormed back inside the house, then slammed the door behind her. "We should see if Deeks and Kensi have had better luck with Cosgrove."

Callen only nodded as he pulled out his cell phone to make the call, then turned toward the driveway when he and his partner saw and heard a car drive up behind their Challenger. Nell stepped out and swiftly walked toward them, then crossed her arms nervously, as she suddenly wasn't sure what she should say to them or why she was even there. Both Sam and Callen could see that she had been crying, as tears were still apparent in her eyes and streaks stained both sides of her face.

Not really sure what to say either, Sam spoke up again softly as he looked down at the youngest member of their team and said, "We weren't expecting you to meet us here. Mikkelsen isn't home and he's not at their office. We were just about to call the others to see if…"

Nell finally looked up at them and cried softly, "Eric's fallen into a coma. He isn't doing well. All of the others are out of surgery and are going to be all right, but Eric… he got the worst end of the attack. The doctors don't know if he's going to make it. They aren't sounding very optimistic."

"He's going to pull through, Nell," Callen finally replied sadly. "You have to stay strong for him and he'll make it. I know we've already said this, as I'm sure Hetty and Nate have both said this as well, but he's strong, just like you."

"I wish I had as much faith that he'll come out of this okay too, but until I know that for sure… I just want to work; to help you guys find the bastards responsible for hurting us," she answered firmly. "I need to stay busy or I'll just go crazy waiting around. Do you believe this Mikkelsen and his partner are the one behind this?"

Sam looked at Callen, then back at Nell, and responded, "It's nothing more than a gut feeling right now. We think so, but so far, we have no evidence that the theft and killings from last night are even involved in the bombing. Finding the link between them is going to be difficult, if there is one."

Nell nodded and replied, "I'm afraid it's about to get more complicated. SECNAV has ordered all NCIS agents to come in for questioning and all cases to be dropped until their own investigations are through and they find the traitors who helped our terrorists. Hetty told me all this before I left the hospital."

"Yeah, well everyone else can obey that order, but we have our own investigation to lead," Callen said smugly as he looked over at his partner and smiled, as Sam was smiling too. "I wouldn't trust SECNAV to get the scumbags behind this, at least not before they finish whatever it is that they've started."

"You both think that we were targeted so that we would be too busy helping our own people, instead of trying to find them if they had just gone after what they were really after," Nell stated in surprise.

Sam nodded and answered, "That's right. Let SECNAV focus on the bombing and whatever else the hell they want to focus on. We'll do what we all do best, together."

Callen spoke up again saying, "Together. Now, let's call Kensi and Deeks. We need to meet up and talk."

Meanwhile…

Hetty slowly walked inside Eric's hospital room once the doctors finally gave her the okay to see him after they finished working on him the best that they could. As she did so, she found that the goofy young genius she had hired years ago to become their lead computer analyst was hooked up to multiple machines to help keep him alive, including a large ventilator that made him look very small. The lower half of his body was covered by a blanket, while the upper half covered only by the loose fitting hospital garment he was changed into, making it so that she could see some of the bandages that were wrapped around the many wounds he had received in the attack. A bandage also covered his head where he had been struck by the falling debris, the main cause for him slipping into the coma.

"This never should have happened," Hetty finally spoke softly as she gently took the young man's hand in her own. "We allowed ourselves to get comfortable within our own home and forgot that it too could be vulnerable to outside threats; that our agents while out in the field weren't the only ones that could be hurt. Of course the proper precautions were taken, but we never believed anything like this was possible and now, you've paid the price. I am so sorry, Eric. Please, prove to me and to the others, especially Nell, that you have the strength that we all see inside you. That same strength you showed the last time you went out into the field and faced multiple bullets to stop that missile from hitting its target. You have saved so many people and there are so many people that still need saving. So fight, for them and for us."


	7. Chapter 7

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Seven

Kensi and Deeks pulled into a parking garage and drove up to the top, which was now mostly vacant due to the hour of the night, then waited for their teammates to arrive. It wasn't long before they did and as they all got out and came together, the female agent and her partner were both surprised to find Nell standing there with Callen and Sam.

"Nell, we didn't expect to see you," Kensi said as she looked over at the young computer analyst. "Are you… are you all right?"

"No, I'm not," she answered coldly. "But I'm here to work. I won't just stay behind and wait to be questioned by the agents SECNAV are sending down to talk to each of us."

Deeks looked between Nell, Sam, and Callen, as he asked, "SECNAV is sending agents down to investigate us?"

Sam nodded as he replied, "That's right. They're pulling every agent from the field and putting a hold on all cases until our agency has been cleared and the traitors are found. That's why we're meeting here."

"SECNAV will be busy for awhile while their interrogating everyone else," Callen continued. "That gives us time to do our own investigation, at least until Hetty can no longer hold them off. We need to solve this as soon as possible."

"Sounds good to me," Deeks responded coolly. "Where do we start? Kensi and me didn't find anyone home at Cosgrove's except for his sleepy wife. Let me tell you, that woman was hostile, but not because she has problems with cops. In fact, she begged us to arrest her 'no good for nothing, lying, cheating bastard of a husband.' Those were her words, not mine. She suggested we try looking for him at one of the more expensive hotels in town, as she was pretty positive that they're where he likes to take his 'skanky whores.' Again, those were her words, not mine. Talk about a woman scorned."

Callen spoke up again saying, "Yeah, well she might not be totally wrong. He probably isn't off with just some other woman, but he may be at a hotel with Mikkelsen and others who are involved in the bombing. A hotel would be a great meeting place."

Kensi asked, "What do you suggest we do, search every expensive hotel in town, on our own, without help? We don't even know if our scorned woman knows what the hell she's talking about."

"If we were at our headquarters, then Eric and I… we would… track our suspects down… using their cell phones… and credit cards," Nell could barely answer. "Perhaps we could find someone… who…"

"That's a great idea," Kensi finally cut in when Nell could no longer finish her thought.

Deeks replied, "That's right. It just so happens that I've got a few friends still in the LAPD, one of whom owes me a favor. He'll be more than willing to help us out, I think, but we'll have to be fast if we're going to go down there. Surely, the LAPD know that NCIS has called in all of its agents. We won't be welcome there for long."

Sam asked, "Will we be able to get in?"

"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem," the LAPD liaison responded with a grin.

"Why does that not sound very reassuring?" Sam asked.

As the others walked back toward their cars, Kensi quickly pulled Nell aside to talk to her alone, and said, "I couldn't help but notice how stressed out and worried you are. Are you doing all right? Is it Eric?"

Nell looked at her and nodded, then answered, "Yeah, he's hurt real bad, Kens. He's fallen… He's fallen into…"

"He's fallen into a coma?" Kensi finished for her once again.

"Yeah, just please don't try to tell me everything's going to be okay," Nell replied angrily. "I have heard enough from everyone one else. I don't want to hear it again and I don't want to talk about Eric. I'm here to work."

Kensi nodded as she responded, "I understand. Just know that if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

Nell smiled and answered, "I know you are. Thank you, Kensi."

Meanwhile…

"I suspected that you would want to have this talk," Hetty spoke up wearily as she walked into her home and noticed a shadow sitting down on the couch inside her living room. "However, I was not expecting that we would be having it here. It has been a long day, Owen. Surely, this can wait until tomorrow."

"I'm afraid that that won't be possible," Granger replied calmly. "You and I both know that your head team is out there somewhere looking for answers on their own, despite the orders from SECNAV. I also know that you are going to do everything you can to support them because that is how you are."

Hetty nodded and then responded, "If you know all this, then I don't understand why we're talking."

Owen shook his head, then answered, "We're talking because I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't try to convince you to order your team to turn themselves in."

"All right, you've done your job," the small woman replied smugly. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah, I guess it is, but know this, Henrietta, if your team isn't able to find evidence that proves whoever the traitors are without a doubt before they're discovered missing, then they will most likely become SECNAV's newest suspects and will be in serious trouble," Granger responded in frustration. "There won't be much either you or I will be able to do to help them at that point."

She nodded, then answered, "Yes, I am very much aware of that point. However, I have faith that my team will find out the truth, not SECNAV."

Owen crossed his arms and replied, "Oddly enough, so do I. I have been with all of you long enough to know that there's something very special about how your team operates."


	8. Chapter 8

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Eight

Forty-five minutes later, the four agents and young computer analyst arrived at LAPD's main office. It was late, so the offices were empty, except for the building's security and any detectives and officers who might have stayed behind to continue working through the night. They parked around the back and walked up to one of the doors that led to one of the building's stairwells, then Deeks knocked twice. A minute later, one of the lab techs he used to work with opened the door and quickly let them inside.

Once inside, the young man spoke up saying, "I really shouldn't be doing this, Marty. If our captain finds out, you and I could both get in a lot of trouble."

Deeks looked over at his former coworker as he replied, "You're still as uptight as always, aren't you, Danny? Never mind, I'm not here to reminisce, although I realize as I'm standing here that I probably should later once things cool down, seeing as we're old friends, but… I really need your help right now, kid. And I didn't come just because you owe me a favor."

"I know, I've been watching the news," Danny responded as he cautiously led them through the building and finally into his lab, keeping a lookout for any of his coworkers. "I'm sorry about your friends."

"Thanks," Deeks quickly answered as Nell walked right over to one of the lab's computers to get to work. "By the way, this is my partner, Kensi, and the rest of my team, Callen, Sam, and Nell. Guys, this is Danny McBride. Danny's one of the most brilliant geeks I've ever known, aside from you, Nell, and… and… Eric, of course."

Callen reached out to shake Danny's hand and then said, "We really appreciate this, Danny."

Nell spoke up without looking away from the computer screen as she called out to her coworkers, "All right, I'm in. So far, there aren't any pings on either of our suspects' credit cards. What are their numbers?"

"Here you go," Sam replied as he set down a scrap of paper beside her, then she quickly began to type again, her fingers flying across the keys.

"Is she okay?" Danny asked, noticing the coldness in her tone and her avoidance.

As they stepped a little further away from the analyst, Sam motioned for Danny to follow, then he quietly responded, "She'll be fine. She's just under a lot of stress right now."

Deeks pulled out an evidence bag containing what looked like a burnt piece of plastic from his coat pocket, then handed it to the lab tech, and asked, "Can you take a look at something for me, kid? I was hoping that you might be able to get us something that could help us discover who attacked us."

"You stole a piece of evidence from the crime scene?" Callen asked.

"Yeah, does that really surprise you?" Deeks asked in return.

Callen shook his head and answered, "No, but I am surprised you waited until now to brag about it. What is that?"

Sam looked down at the item as Danny carefully took it out of the bag while wearing gloves to keep from getting his own prints on it, then the former Navy seal replied, "It looks like part of a cell phone."

"You're right about that," Danny responded as he continued looking over the device, then set it down in order to get a few tools so that he could get a better look at it.

"This phone was the bomb's triggering device," Kensi said. "We have a pretty good idea that Mikkelsen and Cosgrove are the ones behind all this. The real question we still need to answer is, who is the traitor that helped them pull this off?"

Danny looked between the three agents as he answered, "I'll do whatever I can to help you if I can. I won't be able to find out what the number is for this thing, but I may be able to at least get you a finger print; I might, if I'm lucky. This thing is really badly charred."

Nell turned her head and looked at the other geek in the room as she quietly replied, "If you and me work together, we might just be able to get what we need. That is, if you don't mind if I stay here while they go off to do whatever they have to do. I promise I won't do anything to get you in trouble."

"She may be our computer analyst, but she's also really good with these kinds of messes too," Sam spoke up again, when Danny looked to them for confirmation that it was okay for her to stay behind. "Trust me, if there's anything to be found, she'll find it."

"Then, welcome aboard," Danny responded as he reached out to shake her hand.

Kensi patted Nell's shoulder, then turned to her partner and her other two teammates, and said, "We should probably get going, before we draw attention to ourselves. One of us won't be as noticeable."

Nell quickly asked, "Promise me you'll let me know if you find something else out?"

"Don't worry, we will," Kensi answered. "Be careful."

Morning came around and Hetty stood on a balcony from an apartment standing across from a hotel as she looked down at the lodging site's pool, which had recently turned into a crime scene, as a body had been found floating underneath the surface. Cops, detectives, and crime scene analysts stood around as they worked to fish out the body and find any possible evidence.

"It looks like we've figured out who our traitor was," she said as she spoke to Callen over the phone. "A friend of mine working with one of our city's finest coroners just sent word that the latest murder victim's name is John Booker and the photo she sent to me of his face shows that he's the same John Booker that worked for us."

Callen replied, "_I don't believe it. We didn't know Booker all that well, but we never thought that he would betray us like this. Do you have any idea why he would help a group of terrorists plant a bomb that would kill and seriously wound his own friends? He and Eric used to get together to play video games and have geeks night out._"

Hetty turned and walked back inside the empty apartment, then responded, "Not right now, I don't that will be up to all of us to figure out. Is Nell still all right working with Mr. Deeks' young lab tech friend?"

"_It turns out that as soon as the sun came up, both of them left the lab and moved to Danny's house where they could continue working,_" Callen answered. "_It isn't ideal, but they'll make it work. She's fine. We'll get to work on trying to figure out why Booker did this and maybe we'll dig up more that can help us find the rest of our killers. Hopefully before SECNAV gets wise and tries to arrest us or fire us for disobeying their orders to come in._"

"Good luck, Mr. Callen, and nice work," she spoke up again before hanging up. "Take care of each other. We'll be in touch. Oh, and don't worry about Granger. He won't get in our way, so long as we don't draw attention to ourselves."


	9. Chapter 9

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Nine

After getting off the phone with Hetty, Callen walked back into the main room of his home, where he, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks decided to go while they worked to put together a game plan for what they were going to do next. Until their latest call to Hetty, they still didn't have much to go on, as their suspects' phones were currently turned off and the batteries removed so they couldn't be traced and there were no charges on their credit cards as of yet either. Nell told her teammates that she'd call them right away if that changed.

"I can't believe it," Deeks spoke up once Callen finished explaining to them what Hetty had told him over the phone. "Why would Booker betray us like this? He went on a couple of dates with Nell. From what I understood, I thought he really like her and he and Eric used to get together to play video games."

"That's what I said," Callen stated. "None of us were exactly friends with him and we didn't really try too hard to become so, but Booker never once indicated that he hated working for NCIS, nor did he ever say anything about having financial problems."

Sam crossed his arms as he continued, "He fooled us all. Who knows the man's reasons for hurting us like this, but it doesn't really matter. The truth is, he put a bomb in where we all worked and helped whoever he was working for hurt us where they could hurt us the most. I don't feel bad that he's dead."

Kensi nodded in agreement, then answered coldly, "I just wish I could have been the one to pull the trigger."

"We all do," Deeks replied as he stood up from his seat on the couch, one of the few pieces of furniture Callen had finally put in after years of living there. "I'm guessing that the police and other agents SECNAV called in are probably looking through Booker's home in search for plans or evidence pointing to who he was working for?"

"Yeah, but maybe we've got something better," Sam responded. "We didn't know much about him, but I vaguely remember him mentioning something about his mother. He sent the woman money every month to take care of her, while she remained inside a nursing home."

Kensi quickly spoke up again as she asked, "Yeah, but you don't think the others will think to go see her too?"

Callen smiled as he answered, "Yeah maybe, but not right away, which gives us time to go and visit her ourselves. She probably won't know anything about what he was planning, but I'm betting he said goodbye in some way or another. He would have planned a trip to somewhere where there is no extradition in order to get away with his crimes. I doubt he was expecting he'd die for them last night."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Deeks asked. "Let's go pay the woman a visit."

Meanwhile…

Nell slowly walked through the hospital corridors and ducked into each of the wounded agents', as well as the other analysts' and techs' rooms to quickly pay her respects to them as they were all friends, then she finally arrived outside Eric's room and stopped. She wanted to be with him more than anywhere else, but a part of her was terrified to go inside. He was still in a coma and hooked up to all kinds of equipment to help him. Eric was always so happy-go-lucky and eccentric, except for when he became nervous whenever it came to him having to talk to her about anything other than work. It was one of the things she loved most about him. To see him like he was now, it scared her more than she ever thought it could and she wasn't exactly sure why.

"Nell!" a voice suddenly called out to her from down the hall as she was about to go inside. "Wait, can I talk to you?"

When she saw that it was the man she had started to see recently, whom she had gotten into the argument with Eric about the day before, she stared at him as he walked closer and pulled her away from the room, then she asked, "Colin, what are you doing here? I thought I told you that things were complicated for me at work right now and that I wouldn't be available for awhile."

The man gently touched the bandage on her forehead that hid the gash she had received from the bombing, then he ran his fingers through her hair, and replied, "Yes, you did, but I figured you'd be here with your friends and I wanted to see you, to make sure that you're okay. How are you really?"

"I'm fine," she quickly responded as she pushed his hand away from her face and then motioned for him to have a seat in the chairs in the waiting room nearby. "Listen Colin, now's not really a good time. I'm here to visit my friends and things are really difficult right now. I shouldn't have… shouldn't have led you on and made you believe that we could… make this relationship work. I…"

"I don't understand," Colin interrupted before she could say anymore. "I thought things were really good between us. I thought we were hitting it off and that maybe we might be ready to take our relationship to the next level. I really like you, Nell."

Nell shook her head sadly and then stared over toward Eric's room until she finally looked back at the man standing before her, having suddenly made the realization that she should have known all along, as she slowly answered, "I'm so sorry, Colin. I wish that there was a way for me to tell you this without hurting you, but… I'm in love with someone else and I know that he's in love with me too. Those were the last words he said to me just before all this happened; before I ran out of the room in anger and left him behind."

Flashback to yesterday morning in the ops center…

_As Nell walked in after going to have a talk with Hetty about the information Callen and Sam had learned about their first victim, the woman who had stayed late that night in the office, she looked over at Eric, then at the large screen along the wall as she asked, "Were you able to find anything on our second security guard, uhh… Preston Jenkins?"_

_ "No, not yet," he replied as he looked back at her nervously, then quickly turned back to the screen too as soon as she looked over at him again. "She's a little more difficult to dig up information on that's not common knowledge. So, I heard that you started going out with some guy you met out in D.C. when you went for that meeting over two months ago. He's a lawyer, right?"_

_ "Yeah, a lawyer from down here in L.A. that was there for a meeting with a new client," she responded. "How did you know that? I haven't told you about him."_

_ Eric looked at her again sheepishly as he answered, "No… no you didn't. It's just that I… I uhh… I found his business card on the floor last week. It must have fallen out of your pocket and since you've been back you've been going out to see him quite a bit. At least, you haven't been free to come over to play World of Warcraft in the last several weeks and you've been coming in the last few mornings differently, like you always do when you start dating someone. I just assumed…"_

_ Nell stopped what she was doing and turned to him as she angrily asked, "And why does what I'm doing with him matter to you? Yes, I've been going out with him a lot and I like him, a lot."_

_ "It doesn't really bother… bother me… really," he replied even more nervously. "I just was wondering. If you want to date him, I suppose that's fine with me. It's just that…"_

_ "That what?" Nell asked more coldly than she meant to come off. "I have every right to see whomever I like and I'm sorry that my dating him has been interfering with your stupid game! I like him and he likes me."_

_ Eric looked hurt as he turned away and nervously fiddled with the iPad in his hands, then he softly responded, "I'm g…glad he does and he… he should. Anyone who gets to know you should. It's just that… I don't…"_

_ She interrupted him again as she said, "I will date anyone I like and if you have a problem with that, then you're not the man I thought you were. I thought you were my friend."_

_ "I am your friend," Eric finally spoke again boldly, no longer letting his nerves stop him from saying what was really on his mind, as he suddenly looked at her with a deep sadness and disappointment in his eyes that she had never seen in him before. "I will always be your friend, but I wish you could see me the way that I see you. I love you, Nell. I've been wanting to tell you I have been in love with you for so long now, it's just that I haven't been able to because you make me more nervous than anyone I ever knew. I've never been able to find the words, until now, for whatever reason. I'm sorry if you think that I wouldn't want you to be truly happy, even if it meant that your happiness was not because you were with me."_

_ "Eric, I… How can you do this to me?" she asked in frustration. "I can't talk to you anymore. I'm spending the rest of the afternoon downstairs. Please, just leave me alone."_

_ She left the room in anger and when he was alone once again, Eric stared at the door as he slowly sank into his chair and then answered sadly to himself, "I'm sorry, Nell."_

End of flashback…

Colin looked toward the room as well while she drifted off in thought and then replied, "I see. It's your friend from work, isn't it; the geek that you talk about almost non-stop?"

"First of all, Eric isn't a geek, I mean, he is, but in a really good way and he's a lot more than that. And second, he's a good man, who's smart and kind, and he's the best man I know," she responded confidently.

"I know that," he answered in frustration. "I didn't mean to insult him. It's just that I thought that the two of you were just friends. I really like you, Nell. I want the two of us to be together for a long time. We've only been out together a few times, but the two of us are perfect for each other."

Nell sadly replied, "Unfortunately, deep down I always felt like something wasn't quite right between us, but I ignored it because I really liked you too. I didn't understand why I couldn't shake that feeling off, but now I do. I'm sorry, but I can't… We're through, Colin. I hope you can understand."

Colin patted her shoulder gently and then he responded, "In time, I think I will. Is your friend going to be all right?"

"I don't… I don't know," the young woman cried fearfully. "He's hurt, badly, and I've been terrified to walk into his room because the man lying in that room is not the man that I know. Oh God, I need him to be okay."

"I knew she would admit her true feelings for Eric when she was ready," Hetty said softly to Nate as the two of them watched Nell with the stranger she was dating from a distance. "I just pray that Eric will pull through so she can finally be able to tell him, instead of this other man, or she will never forgive herself."


	10. Chapter 10

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Ten

"Do you really think this stupid disguise is necessary?" Deeks asked as he began to pull at the old, itchy sweater Kensi gave for him to wear for when they both walked inside the old home the agents were all sitting in a car outside of in order to speak with John Booker's mother. "This thing is so scratchy and, uncomfortable. How on earth did your father wear this?"

"It was his favorite sweater and I don't think it was this uncomfortable to him," Kensi responded in frustration. "Stop being such a baby."

Sam spoke up saying, "Sorry Deeks, but we just can't walk in there as federal agents to question Mrs. Booker. Someone had to wear this, ridiculous disguise and it looks best on you."

As he looked at himself in their car's rearview mirror and saw the grey wig underneath an old grandpa looking hat, the fake mustache over his lip, and the large black glasses he was wearing, Deeks grumpily replied, "Of course it does. You know, one of these days, the two of you are going to end up wearing something like this and when that day comes, I'm going to be sure to have my camera ready."

"Actually, when that day comes, we'll have Hetty to help us with our disguises, so we won't look quite so outrageous," Callen answered smugly.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! I'm laughing so hard that it hurts," Deeks responded bitterly. "Let's get this over with."

Sam smiled as Deeks and Kensi exited their car, then he replied, "Good luck and have fun. Don't forget that Kensi is your daughter here, and not your partner. You're not a cop."

As the NCIS agent and LAPD agent entered the building, Deeks answered once again, much more quietly so that only their teammates could hear him, "I've been undercover hundreds of times, thank you."

Once they were inside, they slowly made their way over to the receptionist sitting down in the home's lobby, as Deeks was trying to make himself appear as an old man and not as a detective. Kensi easily explained to the woman that she was there to take a look around the facilities as she was searching for a new home for her father. Thankfully, it didn't take much convincing on the agent's part to deceive the woman. She guided Kensi and Deeks into the main room where most of the residents there were visiting with each other, as well as with family members, then left them alone to visit too.

"Excuse me, do either of you know a Debbie Booker?" Kensi asked sweetly and quietly as she helped Deeks, who was pretending to have trouble walking and remain standing upright, have a seat at a table surrounded by three or four other residents staying there.

"I'm Debbie," one of the women sitting there responded as she looked between Kensi and Deeks. "And you are?"

Deeks quickly replied, "My name's Marty Dickerson and this is my fine, sweet, sweet daughter, Sheila. How are you doing today, Mrs. Booker?"

Debbie smiled as Deeks reached out to shake the woman's hand and kissed it, then she answered giddily, "I'm very well, thank you, you darling man. What exactly can I help you and your daughter with?"

"I came here today because I heard about how wonderful this place is from your son, John," Kensi responded. "You see he's a very good friend of mine and he told me that my father here would love it too."

"Yes, my boy would say that," she replied in frustration. "Johnny certainly means well, but if you were my age, would it make you feel good about yourself if you were thrown in here and left alone until the end of your days? How do you think your father's going to feel if you just abandon him here?"

Deeks looked over at her as he asked, "Do you mean to say that your own son doesn't even come to visit you at all? That's terrible!"

Mrs. Booker looked to her side as she thought for a moment and then she answered, "Well actually, he came by a few nights ago for a visit. I thought it was strange because he never really visited me here before, except for when he wanted to ask me for a favor, but this time… this time he was very sweet and quiet, like he used to be years ago before he started working for that business partner of his. Ever since they met, my precious boy seemed to change and not for the better."

"Have you ever met this, business partner of your son's?" Kensi asked again. "I mean, I thought he told me that he worked for some government agency?"

"Yes, he does," the woman continued. "He works for some police department I believe, though I don't recall which one, but he also has a small business on the side. And no, I never met the man that works with him. I just know that whoever he is, he must be cruel and a monster, just like Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. My son was always nervous whenever I brought him or his side business up, then he would quickly shut the conversation down. Johnny seemed to love me less and less, but on our last visit, he was so sad and apologetic. He apologized for not seeing me more and the worse part of it all, was when he spoke as though he was never going to see me again. He said he was going to be going on a long trip, for work, and he didn't think he would be able to come back, at least not anytime soon."

Kensi reached out and gently patted her hand, then responded sadly, "I am so sorry. And I am sure your son will be back one day. He will realize he was a fool to have left you alone here."

Deeks nodded in agreement, then replied, "My daughter is right, Mrs. Booker. I am sure he loves you very much."

"We should get going, I think," Kensi spoke again as she stood up after a moment and then helped Deeks stand up as well. "It was a pleasure meeting with you, Mrs. Book… Debbie. I hope to see you again soon."

"The pleasure was mine, my dear," she answered sincerely. "Goodbye, to both of you."

Kensi and Deeks slowly made their way back outside, while continuing their ruse until they were no longer in sight of anyone from the retirement home and when they both got back inside their car, Sam and Callen turned to look at their teammates as Kensi spoke up and said, "I hated telling that poor woman that her son would be back someday, when the truth is that he is now about to be buried six feet under and branded a traitor of his country."

Sam looked at her and responded, "You said what you had to in order to give that woman hope. It was the right thing to do."

"Sam's right," Callen replied, then got back to their case. "Now we know that Booker and his business partner have been working together for years. There has to be evidence of their partnership somewhere, anything that can help us to discover who the man behind all of this is."

"Callen's right," Deeks answered in agreement as he worked to pull of his sweater, then the wig and mustache. "I just hope we can find it before he and his friends choose their next target, which doesn't give us hardly any time at all. It is going to happen soon. Man, now my shirt is itchy too. Thanks a lot, Kensi."


	11. Chapter 11

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Eleven

Once she said goodbye to the man she thought she was really beginning to care about, Nell finally walked into Eric's hospital room and very slowly made her way over to stand at his bedside. As she looked down at his frail, almost lifeless form that looked very small beneath the large ventilator keeping him alive, she couldn't help, but begin to weep openly. Seeing Eric this way broke her heart and there was nothing she could do, but be here for him and have faith that he can fight his way back.

She reached out and gently took his hand in her own, then held onto him for several minutes until she leaned over to kiss his forehead and finally let go so that she could take a seat in the chair pulled up beside him, the whole not saying a word, despite there being so much that she wanted to say to him.

Stillness swept though the room for almost an hour until Nate walked in and silently took a seat in the chair set up beside her, then before the psychologist could say anything, she spoke up first as she said softly, "You know you were right before, about me… and Eric. You said you know how much he means to me and I denied that I felt anything for him. Well, I was wrong. I was horribly wrong. I just don't understand why it took this… this to happen for me to finally see it. He's always been here for me, always been here to listen, to comfort me when I needed someone to talk to during or after a hard day at work, he's somehow always known what I needed, even before I knew what I needed. Why couldn't I see it until now, now that it may be too late to tell him how I really feel?"

Nate looked at her and replied sadly, "It's impossible to know why it sometimes takes a tragedy such as this to allow people see their true feelings. I don't have the answer you're looking for, but what's important right now is that you finally do realize the truth and that you prove to him how you feel by continuing to do what you're doing. That's enough."

"But he won't know that I love him," Nell answered as she looked over at Eric once again as tears continued to fall from her eyes in silence. "If we lose him… I don't know what I'll do. I don't know, if I'll be able to continue working for NCIS once this whole mess is cleared up even we do all get our jobs back."

"Luckily, there'll be plenty of time for you to think about that after this whole mess is solved," Nate responded. "SECNAV won't be too happy with Hetty and the rest of you, so I have a feeling that you won't be required to solve another case for some time, even after the new headquarters is built."

Nell smiled through her tears and then replied, "Hetty will give them hell if they try to fire us."

The psychologist nodded and laughed, then answered, "Yes she will."

Nell began to laugh as well as she looked around the room, then stopped when her eyes landed on Eric's personal affects, which he had on him at the time of the incident, lying on the small table over in the corner of the room. She made her way over to them and carefully began to go through the items, all while Nate remained quiet as he watched her. She soon came upon Eric's cell phone and when she turned it on, she noticed that there was an email with a couple of photos attached waiting to be sent to the rest of their teammates, an email he didn't get the chance to send.

"Eric was about to send the others something just before the explosion," Nate said as he looked down at the phone as he stood beside Nell to see what she was busy studying. "What's in the photos?"

"He found photos that help us link Cosgrove to the bombing," she responded quickly as she began to dial Callen from her own phone, waiting for the agent to pick up. "I just don't think he realized what he had."

Nate took Eric's phone from her to look at them more closely as the agent finally picked up and Nell cried out, "Callen, I think I found what we've been looking for, I mean, Eric did, but he didn't…"

The agent with nothing, but a single initial for his first name quickly interrupted her, so as to get her to slow down, saying, "Whoa_, whoa, whoa, take it easy, Nell. What are you talking about? Is Eric awake?_"

"No, no not yet," she replied a little calmer. "But before the explosion, Eric was working on gathering background information on our three victims, but apparently he found much more; photos that can help us link Cosgrove and Booker together. They may give you what you need to link him to the explosion and maybe it can lead you to nail Mikkelsen too. I'm sending the email to you now. Go and get the bastards."

"_We will,_" he answered. "_Thank you, Nell._"

As she and Callen hung up their phones, Hetty walked into the room and she said, "Well done, Miss. Jones."

Nell shook her head as she responded, "It wasn't me, it was Eric."

"I know, I heard most of that conversation," the small woman stated. "And you found the message that Eric meant for you to find. Now, we have to prove Cosgrove's connection to this dastardly plot and perhaps it will lead us to proving Hans Mikkelsen's involvement as well. I just pray that we can solve this soon. I can't hold SECNAV off much longer. Owen is demanding that I call you all in by six o'clock tomorrow night, or none of you may have a job come the day after tomorrow."

"They'll do whatever they have to do," Nate spoke up again confidently. "A time limit has never stopped them before and since the terrorists have made this case personal, it won't stop them now."


	12. Chapter 12

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Twelve

It was late and once again, Kensi and Deeks walked up to the house that belonged to Craig Cosgrove and his soon to be ex wife, then knocked twice on the door when the woman opened it up looking very cross as she spoke up asking, "Are the two of you in the habit of waking people up in the middle of the night, or do you just like annoying me? I told you before, I don't know where that lying, cheating scoundrel is."

Kensi answered curtly, "We are sorry again for the time, but we need to know if he has been in touch with you at all since we last spoke?"

"No, I haven't heard from him," she responded angrily. "Get out of here and don't ever come back."

"Please ma'am, it is very important," Deeks replied as he could tell that the woman wasn't telling the truth. "We have reason to believe that any day now, another government building will be bombed and finding your husband…"

She quickly interrupted, "My ex husband. He's no longer my husband. I should have thought that that was obvious."

Deeks nodded and answered, "I apologize. What I meant to say was that finding your ex might be the key to stopping the attack. Surely, you wouldn't want more innocent people to die, especially knowing that you could prevent it. Besides, when we do find him, we will arrest him and he'll end up in prison for the rest of his life, which won't be for very long."

"That does sound very appealing," Mrs. Cosgrove responded as she smiled smugly. "I don't know where he is, but he did call yesterday morning to apologize for working all through the night, but that he'd be home soon. I told him to go to hell. I finally told him that I knew all about his whores and his involvement in the bombing and that he was never to step foot inside my house ever again."

"You told him that we came by to question him about the attack on us?" Kensi asked worryingly.

The woman replied, "Yes, I didn't think it was a secret."

Kensi turned to her partner as she quickly said, "Now that Cosgrove knows we're really on to them, he'll have told Mikkelsen we're looking for them and they'll most likely move up their time table for whatever they've got planned."

"Someone has to know their whereabouts and where they plan to strike next," Deeks answered, still ignoring the woman standing before them inside the house.

"Well, maybe this is something," Kensi responded as she looked at her cell phone upon receiving a text. "I just got an urgent message from Nell. We need to get to the hospital. We're sorry to have trouble you, ma'am."

As the two agents left and quickly headed back to their car, Deeks spoke up again saying, "I hope this isn't the bad news we've all feared might happen."

Kensi replied, "Eric is going to be all right. He has to be. I'm not ready to lose another teammate."

Twenty-five minutes later…

"Hetty, Nell, is everything all right?" Callen quickly asked as he and Sam ran into the hospital wing until they came upon the two women and Nate, who were all standing outside Eric's room. "Is he…"

"Eric's fine, I mean… he… he… he's still alive," Nell stated nervously as Deeks and Kensi came running in behind the others. "He's fine. I'm sorry, that isn't why I asked you here. I got a text from Danny. He managed to scrape through the charring and found a finger print on the plastic. It was smudged, but he somehow pulled together a miracle that allowed him to discover one of the ones responsible for all this; a Neal Portman."

Deeks quickly said, "I knew that kid was a genius."

"Indeed he is, Mr. Deeks," Hetty answered as she looked between him and the other agents. "I made a few inquiries and managed to locate an address for our new suspect, as well as a local hangout which he frequents regularly, in case he isn't at home. I sent each of you his picture. Find him and question him about his business dealings, then get him to turn on his partners. Just do it fast."

"He's probably the bastard that provided the material for these bombs, however many there are," Sam responded. "Don't worry, we'll get him and then we'll nail the rest of them too."

Two and a half hours later, Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks arrived at the bar Hetty told them about after not finding him at his apartment and as they parked outside of the place, Callen spoke up saying, "If he's in there, he'll probably start running as soon as he sees Sam and I walk in, especially once we identify ourselves as federal agents."

Kensi quickly adjusted her shirt to make herself look more appealing for their suspect as Deeks asked, "Whoa, uhh… what are you doing?"

"Grow up, Deeks," she quickly replied as she finished up and then got out of the car. "I'll go in there and make nice with him and then you three can play bad cops once I lure him out here."

"There can only be one bad cop, as well as one good cop," Deeks answered. "I don't think…"

As she started toward the bar, Kensi spoke through her earpiece as she responded, "Not today. Now, shut up and wait here for my signal to cut in."

Sam looked back at Deeks through the rearview mirror as he asked, "Why do you always have to question your partner's plans, Deeks? You know Kensi hates it when you do that."

"No she doesn't," he replied as he smiled. "She loves it. We joke around, just like you and, G here."

Callen shook his head as he said, "No way, you two act nothing like Sam and me. Kensi, acts like us. You act like nothing more than an overgrown, horny teenager and it's really annoying."

Sam laughed and then upon hearing Kensi start speaking to someone inside, he stated, "It sounds like our guy is in there. We've finally gotten the lead we've been waiting for."


	13. Chapter 13

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Thirteen

As Kensi walked inside and scanned the crowd for their target, it didn't take long before she found him sitting at the bar, looking pretty out of it. Despite the fun and excitement going on around him, Portman didn't seem to care. She slowly walked over and took a seat on the stool beside him, then ordered a couple of drinks, one for her, which she didn't actually plan to drink, and one for him.

"It looks like you could use another," she spoke up first, while her partner and teammates listened in through their ear pieces. "My name's Bonnie. You must be Neal. I've been looking for you."

"And why… is that," their suspect asked as he slowly looked over to see who was talking to him, slurring some of his words. "As much… as I wish I… did, I don't… know you."

Kensi moved closer and leaned in as she alluringly whispered in his ear, "I already told you my name. If you want to get to know me better, follow me."

She slowly got up and began to walk toward the exit, though with much less grace as he wobbled on his feet, looking ready to pass out at any moment. He wore a smile on his face as he believed he was going to get lucky. As soon as they both made it outside, Sam and Callen suddenly grabbed a hold of their suspect, while Deeks went to stand beside his partner to let the others do the work.

As soon as they grabbed onto him, Portman cried out, "What are you… doing? Who… are you?"

"Whoa, you my friend, are hammered," Sam responded as he had to turn away from the foul smell of their suspect's breath. "How long have you been drinking tonight?"

"I am… not your friend," Neal answered, still in confusion as he struggled within their grasp. "What… do you what with… me? Who…?"

Callen interrupted, "Just relax before you fall down and hurt yourself. We're federal agents with NCIS. I have a feeling you were in there drinking yourself to death because you've been feeling guilty."

Neal shook his head as he glared at Callen and replied, "I have nothing to… feel guilty… for, least of all… for those people I helped… kill."

"So you confess to killing our friends then?" Deeks asked in surprise, then looked between his teammates. "That was way easier than I thought."

"I didn't… confess… to…" the drunkard began to retort until he suddenly threw up and passed out cold.

As some of the mess got onto his own clothes, Deeks shouted, "Aah man, that's just gross! Did you two really have to hold him in my direction?"

His friends laughed, then Sam responded, "Better you then us. Isn't that right, G?"

"Oh yeah," his partner answered and then grew serious before he began to speak again. "We know he's definitely involved in the bombing, but there's no way we're going to get anything out of him until he sobers up, at least enough so that he can talk again without puking. Let's take him back to the boat shed before he comes to."

"To the boat shed?" Kensi asked in confusion. "I think that our interrogation shed is a little unavailable for at least the next several months or so."

Sam smiled as he replied, "Actually, it's not. Maybe it is technically off limits to anyone while the investigation continues, but the site's only being guarded by two assigned security officers, both of whom we can convince to let us in without them ratting us out. I know them and one of them owes me a favor. The other owes Hetty one. We just have to be careful. A number of others are watching over what's left of our headquarters."

Deeks nodded and then answered, "All right, fine, but if this finds a way of backfiring on us, then I am blaming you and your partner."

Five hours later…

Neal Portman slowly began to come to as he felt the impending hangover that he knew he was going to have since before he began his first drink of the night. He began to dry heave, though he felt like he was going to vomit once again. It took several minutes before he noticed that he wasn't the only one in the unknown room.

"It's about time you woke up," Callen stated as he stared down at the man while he stood in the doorway of their interrogation room. "We were beginning to worry. Do you remember who we are?"

"I've never seen you before," Neal replied coldly. "Nor do I care."

Sam chuckled and then responded, "You should care, Neal, because your life really depends on your cooperation with us. We met last night, you just don't remember because you had one too many drinks. We're special agents, Callen and Hanna with NCIS. You helped kill several of our friends a few days ago and injured several more."

Callen continued, "One of them is a real good friend and teammate of ours and he was one of those that was hurt the most in that blast you created. Believe us when we say that this is real personal, so we don't care anymore if our interrogation of you gets messy."

"Who do you work for?" Sam asked again. "I think that if you didn't have a guilty conscience about your involvement in the bombing, then you wouldn't have had a need to try to drink yourself to death. Or is it that you're just a major alcoholic, who can't help himself. Does it bother you at all that if Hans and Craig learn that you were out being careless with your life, then they would take it themselves in order to keep from getting caught."

"You know who's behind our plans?" their suspect asked in surprise.

Callen looked over at Sam as he smiled, then back at Neal as he answered, "We weren't positive before, but we are now; thanks to you. If you're afraid of them, we can protect you, I promise you."

Portman glared at them as he replied, "You both can go to hell."

"That's where we've been for the last few days because of you!" Sam said angrily. "Now, if you don't want to get the needle for this mess, then you're going to tell us what we want to know. Where are your bosses and what are their next targets?"

"I won't tell you," Neal responded. "You can't do anything to me."

Callen smiled again and then answered, "Maybe we won't beat you after all, but we can invite our colleague in here, who's just outside this room with his partner watching our little talk, to regale you with some of his many stories and jokes. Believe us when we say, when Deeks gets talking, a number of our suspects would prefer to receive a beating, rather than continue to listen to him for another minute. It's worse than nails on a chalkboard. What's the record, Sam?"

The former navy seal replied, "No suspect has made it past forty-five minutes with Deeks. Believe us, his stories and jokes are pure torture. What do you say now?"


	14. Chapter 14

When the Bough Breaks

Chapter Fourteen

After their interrogation with their latest suspect, which only lasted less than twenty minutes thanks to Deeks, the four agents finally had the information they've been looking for and it wasn't all good news. They learned that Booker was killed by their main suspects because they suspected he was their weakest link, but the worst of it was that Mikkelsen and Cosgrove had plans to bomb four more government buildings, including the headquarters of the LAPD. Portman knew the names of all of the men involved in the terrorist plots, but he didn't know the details of the rest of their plans. He wasn't with the leaders when the plans were finalized. Neal only knew where he was supposed to be at noon that very day.

After the agents made a final call to Hetty in order to explain what they learned, Hetty spoke up on the other end of the line asking, "_Today at noon? That's less than three hours away._"

Sam looked at his partner as he replied sternly, "That's right, Hetty. Portman wasn't lying, at least not about what's important. We're certain."

"They're going to bomb these buildings, but he didn't know who would be where or how they planned to do it," Kensi continued.

"If we have a chance of stopping them before they can bomb all four, then we're going to have to split up, but we'll all be on our own," Deeks added. "I know we're good, but I don't know if we're that good. Anything can happen, especially if they spot us and they create a panic in order to get away."

Hetty spoke up again as she responded, "_Which is why each of you will have your own backup when you're at all locations. Deeks, I'll be sending Nell to you to help you stop the men trying to bomb the LAPD Headquarters, Kensi, I'll be sending Granger to you to save the Hall of Justice, Mr. Hanna, I'm going to call in DEA Agent Del Campo to help you save the Los Angeles Music Center where I believe our mayor and several important guests will be attending a concert then; Talia said she'd be happy to help us out again if we need her, and Agent Callen, I'll be joining you myself to help you in saving Union Station._"

Callen stated, "That sounds good, but Hetty, do you really think that Granger's going to agree to help us out without alerting SECNAV to what's going on?"

"_No I don't,_" she answered shortly. "_Actually, I am counting on him making the proper calls. When he does, a number of their agents will arrive at each of our locations to help back us up. When they find out all we've accomplished to bring this whole mess to a close, I am hoping they will see fit not to punish any of us._"

"I hope you're right, but if not, well then, at least we'll have accomplished bringing these bastards to justice for our final mission; hopefully," Callen replied nervously.

Sam added, "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's end this."

Since they knew what targets were being targeted, each of the NCIS agents made calls to their location in order to have them each evacuated, hopefully before noon, or before their suspects could set the bombs off early. The LAPD had a hard time with being convinced that the threat was real, especially coming from Deeks, but eventually they agreed with a little help from Danny. The other evacuations began without a hitch, except for at Union Station, as the workers there at the time didn't believe the threat, as a number of bomb threats had been made to them, none of them panning out to be nothing more than practical jokes or false information. It wasn't until Hetty and Callen arrived and showed them their badges that they were convinced otherwise.

Everyone at both the LAPD headquarters and the music center were saved and the men in charge of the attack were taken down by Deeks and Nell, and Sam and Agent Del Campo without much of a fight, then the bombs were found and disarmed in the nick of time. Kensi and Granger on the other hand had a harder time. They were able to find and take down their criminals, but they weren't able to save the building before the bomb blew. Thankfully, the agents were able to get everyone, except for the criminals, to safety beforehand. SECNAV's agents and the police sent out were a big help in the saves and with keeping the peace.

As a panic broke out at Union Station, due to people speculating that a terrorist attack of some kind was happening upon seeing the number of police and agents arriving and running around in search of the criminals, Callen ran throughout and around the building for their suspects, while Hetty did the same, though at a slower and calmer pace, both of them carrying their service guns, as well as a few other weapons, for protection. Eventually, Callen finally found two of them, as well as Craig Cosgrove, who he figured was there to oversee their operation.

The agent with no first name took one of the men down fairly easily with a couple of bullets, despite the panic around them, while Hetty moved up from behind and knocked the second criminal down with a bullet to his right kneecap, then held her gun on him. Cosgrove took off running and Hetty called out for Callen to chase him down. Eventually, Callen found him outside of a maintenance room, where he could clearly see he had had his men plant the bomb, while he held a woman hostage with his gun drawn and placed up to the side of her head.

He spoke up as he said angrily, "I suggest you get the hell out of my way before I kill her, otherwise, I will kill her, and then I will kill the both of us by setting the bomb off. A number of others will die too, including your own men. What do you say to that?"

"I don't believe you have the guts to kill yourself, just as I don't believe that you agreed to do all this without being threatened by your business partner," Callen responded curtly. "You didn't want to die then and you don't want to die now. You'll do anything to stay alive. Please, let her go and we can protect you from Hans Mikkelsen. Just tell us where we can find him."

"You can't protect me from him," Craig answered fearfully. "You don't know the kind of power and influence he has over people."

Callen pulled back on the hammer as he aimed his gun higher, then replied, "Maybe you should have thought about that before going into business with him in the first place. It's over. Let her go, now!"

Cosgrove finally slowly lowered his gun, allowing the woman to run free, then Callen walked over to him slowly and finally cuffed him roughly, as Cosgrove spoke up again saying, "You'll find Hans holed up at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel here in LA, room number 1206. He's waiting for my call, once the deeds are done."

"Then, make that call so that he'll feel secure long enough for my agents to head down there to meet him," Hetty responded coldly. "You may have given yourself over to us and told us how to find your boss, but you had as much of a hand in your attack against us as he did. Good people died that day and many more were seriously injured, one of whom is much like a son to me. You will pay for your sins, just as much as Hans Mikkelsen will, I assure you."

"I know," he answered in frustration as he was handed over to two of SECNAV's agents. "I know."

In the end, the all of the terrorists involved in these terrorist attacks, including Mikkelsen, were all either killed or brought to justice thanks to the persistence and determination of the lead NCIS team in Los Angeles. Hans took the coward's way out as he shot himself in the head as soon as Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks arrived at his room and saw no chance for escape. Hetty was reprimanded hard for refusing to call back her team when asked to by SECNAV, while the teammates were all suspended without pay for six weeks for disobeying a direct order. The suspension was fine with them, as they looked forward to spending as much of that time as they could at the hospital with their friends, especially Eric.

The six weeks was nearly up and Eric still had yet to wake from his coma. His injuries were slowly healing and the machines connected to him showed that his vitals were regaining their strength, making it safe for the doctors to remove the ventilator as he could finally breath on his own, but despite it all, the coma remained persistent. It wasn't until the day before they were all assigned to return to work that their young, happy-go-lucky, computer geek finally opened his eyes, searching the room for familiar faces.

Everyone came before him to greet him and speak with him, explaining in short what happened that day, all but Nell as she stood in the back behind everyone in wait for a chance to be alone with him. She only smiled as tears fell down her face in silence, tears that were of joy and relief because she could finally apologize and admit to him how she truly felt.

When they finally finished, then walked out to give him and Nell some time alone, Eric was the first to speak up, still groggy from his long sleep, saying, "I can't believe what I missed. I wish I could have been there to help."

Nell smiled as she replied, "If you were, we surely would have found them much sooner, but you did help actually. You found us evidence we needed to link the traitor within NCIS to the terrorists. You knew something bad was about to happen and was about to send the message off, but you weren't given the chance to tell anyone before the explosion occurred."

"I'm glad… you're all right," Eric responded. "All of you. I'm sorry I scared you, but at least you had Collin to…"

"I broke things off with Collin," she quickly interrupted when she realized what he was going to say. "I realized the truth almost too late and not knowing if you were going to make it was killing me."

Eric looked up at her as he asked fearfully, "What… what truth?"

Before she could say anymore, she quickly bent down over him and kissed him long and hard until she finally stopped and looked into his eyes as she answered, "The truth that I love you. I'm in love with you, not Collin. I love you, Eric. Just like you love me and if I have to spend the rest of my life trying to show you, then I'll do so happily. I'm so sorry I couldn't say it before when you declared your love to me."

"It doesn't matter," he said, then kissed her back as she once again leaned down to kiss him. "We're here now and everything's going to just keep getting better. Now things may not be so awkward for us."

"No way, things will always be awkward," she stated. "That's just the way we are. But, we'll have a lot more fun."

The End


	15. Thank You

Thank you to all of those who have read and have written reviews for my stories! They are much appreciated. I'm honored to have you all for fans and I hope to hear from you all again in the future, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


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